THE controversial West Cove Resort on Boracay Island, once identified as owned by Sen. Manuel Pacquiao, is not accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
In a press conference in Davao City last Friday, DOT Spokesman and Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Communications and Special Projects Frederick M. Alegre said “it has not been issued an accreditation by the DOT, and [we are] now checking who gave the permission for it to operate.”
The resort was put in the spotlight by a broadcaster in 2012, after complaints arose about it building structures on limestone rock formations. Pressure from media pushed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to demolish portions of the resort that were found to be environmentally unsound. The resort, located on Diniwid Beach and styles itself as a posh fourt-star resort, resumed its operations after the demolition.
“We were told that the resort allegedly put cement structures on the stone formations by the beach. So definitely this is something the interagency task force between the DOT, DENR and the DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] is now checking on,” he added.
DOT Undersecretary for Public Affairs, Communications and Special Projects Katherine de Castro clarified that “Senator Pacquiao is no longer connected to Boracay West Cove; it’s now owned by a private entity. We’ve already received complaints about Boracay West Cove and we’ve already submitted this to the DENR. So now it’s for the DENR to decide if it’s going to close it or they’re going to investigate it further.”
As this developed, Sen. Nancy Binay called on her colleagues to investigate the actions of the local government of Malay, Aklan, to see how it is implementing environmental laws on Boracay. She, likewise, urged fellow lawmakers to promote a “zero-waste” tourism policy on the island, popular the world over for its powdery white-sand beach.
In a news statement, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism said: “The threats of inefficient waste management on the environment, especially on tourist destinations in the country, still persist,” as she filed Senate Resolution 313. The Senate Committees on Environment and Tourism will jointly hear the resolution, with a committee hearing scheduled for March 2 on Boracay Island.
“It’s been said, ‘what happens now determines what will happen to the world.’ That is why it is imperative to conduct a multilevel inquiry on what is being implemented by the LGUs for us to strengthen environmental laws in line with the current environmental conditions facing the country,” she added.
The senator warned of an “impending ecocide” in Boracay if overcommercialization, pollution and other pressures are not mitigated. “Boracay is now at a crossroad because of overcommercialization, pollution and overcrowding. These are already recipes for ecological genocide, and it’s waiting to happen if we aren’t able to prevent it.”
Binay cited a study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which warned of “imminent loss” of the island’s marine and coastal ecosystem if its current environment prevails. Filipino and Japanese scientists conducted the Jica-funded research on the island from 2010 to 2015.
The Coastal Ecosystem Conservation and Adaptive Management study added the island’s coral-reef ecosystem has been seriously degraded by tourism-related activities.
“Over commercialization has compromised the island’s natural beauty. But there is still hope. What we can do is to make Boracay a model of responsible tourism, and we should strive to return it to its pristine state,” she stressed.
In 2017 about 2 million tourists visited Boracay, named one of the world’s most beautiful islands or beaches by prominent travel publications and news blogs. Last year it generated some P56 million in tourism receipts for the economy.
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